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The San Antonio Water System reported that it performed at least 1,000 repairs to fix water main breaks and leaks in August, a new record for a single month.
SAWS officials said while the water supply is doing well, including 14 projects from eight different sources, the shifting dry ground caused by the drought is breaking or bursting buried water lines.
“While we’ve been fortunate to receive some rainfall in the last week, it hasn’t been enough to saturate the ground or reduce demand on our infrastructure, so the result is all these water leaks, which we’ve never experienced before,” said Carlos Mendoza, SAWS vice president of Distribution and Collections.
“Customers can do their part by abiding by Stage 2 watering rules and being patient as our crews work to prioritize and repair this record-setting number of main breaks we are experiencing," he said.
SAWS said 52 crews and contractors were working 24-7 during extreme heat to make repairs.
Heat precautions include alternating crews working in tandem to make repairs at the same spot. Water and rest breaks are also provided to crews.
SAWS reported that it responds to all leaks as quickly as possible but prioritizes leaks based on a 1 to 3 scale — from emergency to urgent to routine.
Some SAWS tanks have dropped below the Stage 2 levels normally seen, an indication the neighborhoods pumping from them may not be following the restrictions now in place.
Some of that pumping is being done on landscaping in the dead of night, but that comes with risks for a water cheater.
SAWS said it has issued nearly 6,000 citations to water wasters this year, including behind the bars of gated communities. Fines average $150 for a first offense.
During Stage 2, watering with a sprinkler, irrigation system or soaker hose is allowed only between 7-11 a.m. and 7-11 p.m. on one's designated day, which is determined by the last digit of the address, SAWS said.
